Trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds to push for exemption on steel tariffs in crunch meeting with US officials
Trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds is meeting US officials on Tuesday as the UK faces a race against time to prevent Donald Trump bringing in new tariffs on steel.
Earlier this month, a UK-US trade deal was unveiled that should have exempted Britain from steel tariffs; however, the move has yet to be implemented, and the details are still being worked out ahead of a formal deal.
On Tuesday in Paris, Mr Reynolds and US trade representative Jamieson Greer are expected to discuss implementing the agreement.
It comes amid uncertainty about the future of Mr Trump's tariffs after a US court last week ruled many of them unlawful, before an appeals court reinstated the levies pending a further hearing.
Last week also saw Mr Trump announce that he would double tariffs on steel to 50 per cent, starting on Wednesday, and it remains unclear how the UK would be affected by his declaration.
Mr Reynolds' visit to Paris is part of a three-day trip, during which he is expected to meet other trade ministers and attend a G7 ministerial meeting before heading to Brussels for meetings with his EU counterparts.
During the trip, the trade secretary will argue that the UK is a dependable partner in an era of increasing global volatility.
He said: 'Our deals with the US, EU and India are proof that the UK is the most connected country in the world to do business. Along with our modern industrial strategy, our Plan for Change is making the UK a safe, stable bet in uncertain times.
'We recognise our relationship with G7 allies and EU counterparts must continue to evolve and deliver a better trading environment for our businesses and exporters.
'That's why we want to wipe away costly, business-blocking barriers and open up opportunities to grow our economy, create jobs and put more money in people's pockets.'
Andrew Griffith, Conservative shadow business secretary, said: 'Labour told the British public we had a deal with the US – but one month on, there is no deal in sight, meaning British businesses and workers continue to suffer because of Labour's failed negotiations.
'After snatching the winter fuel payment, lying about not increasing taxes, and misleading the public by saying the US trade deal was done, the public will rightly not trust a word Labour says.
'As all the other political parties wrangle over how to spend more taxpayers' money, only the Conservatives are committed to being responsible with the public finances.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Statesman
11 minutes ago
- New Statesman
Who will save local news?
Illustration by Harry Haysom / Ikon Images The 160-year history of the South London Press has come to an abrupt end. Its website shows a somewhat mournful 'This site can't be reached' message. If only the outpouring of grief from south-east Londoners across social media had been matched by them buying the paper or paying for its digital content, it may never have come to this. But the locals of Dulwich, Greenwich and Millwall cannot alone be blamed. Shifts in societal habits and media consumption mean the South London Press is just the latest of almost 300 local titles which have closed in the last 20 years. The number of journalists on regional and local titles has dropped from around 9,000 in 2007 to 3,000 in 2022. The reasons are well documented: the shift of property, jobs and motoring ads to digital; the hoovering up of ad revenue by Google and Meta while also controlling visibility of content; and an endless feed of more entertaining content for scrollers have left publishers starved of BBC's expansion of local online news rubbed salt into a weeping wound. Cuts and consolidation followed resulting in the loss of experienced journalists, closure of town-centre offices in favour of regional 'hubs' covering vast areas and titles becoming less local. Readers turned away and the doom loop continued. The consequences of all this are less well understood. Local journalism always served a dual purpose. Not only did it hold power to account and reflect on important local issues, covering council meetings and magistrates' courts, it also contributed to a sense of place and pride. Those stories about dog shows and weddings and giant vegetables were important (although admittedly I didn't appreciate that as I wrote them for the Harlow Star) because they knitted people in the community together. There is much research showing Reform's popularity in towns that have lost pride in their high streets and communities. The local paper lay at the heart of those places. Also lost is the pipeline of stories and staff to the national media. Ever wondered why the national news is so dominated by Punch and Judy political stories? In part it is to fill the gaps once crackling with fascinating tales from local reporters. Already there are concerns some areas of the UK are becoming 'news deserts', with no trusted local news coverage. Donald Trump won 91 per cent of counties categorised as 'news deserts' in last year's US election. In those gaps voters were fed less trustworthy, more polarising content from social media and national sources. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe The situation is not entirely bleak. The big owners of local media still attract significant traffic. In April 2024, regional Reach titles were visited by 58 per cent of online adults, Newsquest by 28 per cent and National World by 27 per cent. And there are exciting start-ups, such as Mill Media, building engaged communities in Glasgow, Manchester and beyond. There has been much hand-wringing about the crisis, with calls for a government innovation fund for local news, and tax relief, greater philanthropy or charity status for news sites. The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has spoken of local media as an important bulwark against misinformation, but in a fiscally constrained environment there will be little public support for tax breaks for news organisations. Unless part of Nandy's media plan is building a time machine, I am sceptical of its success. The artifice of AI has once again resulted in very real-world consequences. The Lib Dem MP Max Wilkinson was threatened with violence and told he would be tracked down after an AI-edited video appeared to show him calling Nigel Farage a 'c**t' in the Commons. The clip was posted on X by the Spen Valley Reform Party account and viewed almost 100,000 times before it was deleted and an apology issued. There was no response from X to a complaint. It's estimated 34 million images are being created daily by AI. The spread of misinformation, and its ability to undermine our democracy, is becoming ever greater as we move to an increasingly visual and aural media world. Spen Valley of all places should have been alert to the dangers of minds being manipulated by media. Trump is such a fan of Fox News that his national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, is apparently considering delivering his regular intelligence briefings in the style of a Fox bulletin. Currently, the president's daily brief is a written online document (yawn!) which Trump has reportedly read less than once a week since being in office – fewer times than his predecessors. Hence the plans to come up with a style, insiders say, would be 'more aligned with how he likes to consume information'. Imagine it: 'So that's the siege on Gaza and troop movements in Ukraine, Mr President. And now to the weather…' Reform MP Lee Anderson has been doing his pound-shop Donald routine with an outburst at local news site Nottinghamshire Live. In a Facebook post he raged: 'We will take our country back and these lefty out-of-touch, low-level so-called journalists will have to go and get a proper job.' The post was a response to a report about the £25k cost of a by-election, which was triggered just days after the local elections when a newly elected Reform councillor quit. Presumably to get a proper job. [See also: Will Jeremy Corbyn trap the government on Gaza?] Related
Reuters
24 minutes ago
- Reuters
Dubai party hotel FIVE considers listing in London or New York
DUBAI, June 4 (Reuters) - Dubai party hotel operator FIVE Holdings is considering listing in London or New York, three people with knowledge of the matter said. The company, which owns the Pacha hotel and nightclub, has been exploring an initial public offering in Dubai, it has said. Chairman and founder Kabir Mulchandani said last year the company was worth up to $3 billion and was considering a dual listing. He did not name possible locations. London could be a strong candidate given a majority of clients at FIVE's Ibiza clubs are British nationals and that business generates significant revenues for the group, one of the people said. An offering would be a boost for London, which has struggled to attract IPOs. FIVE did not respond to requests for comment. Dubai is the biggest tourism and trade hub in the Middle East, attracting a record 18.7 million international overnight visitors last year. Foreign investors accounted for 50% of the total trading value on the Dubai Financial Market exchange last year, exchange data showed. The company and its advisers are planning to start the listing process by the end of the year, two of the people said. The three people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly. FIVE operates luxury hotels in Ibiza and Switzerland as well as owning one of Dubai's biggest party hotels, where guests can park their top-of-the-range sports cars inside a nightclub for Dhs10,000 ($2,723). Guests can also rent its 16-passenger private jet for $14,000 an hour. This year's market volatility, triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, has weighed on global IPO activity, but the Gulf region has bucked the trend as both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have forged ahead with listing plans. They include Saudi budget airline flynas, which is seeking to raise over $1 billion, and Dubai Holding's residential REIT, whose shares rose almost 15% during its debut on Wednesday.
Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
On the brink: Why slashing spending on global health will make us all sicker
This week, the Chancellor received a letter from those who know the NHS inside out with a plea to think again about international aid. It was signed by Presidents of diaspora health associations from across the UK, representing thousands of overseas-born healthcare workers serving in our NHS. Their message was clear: if the UK retreats further from its global health commitments, we all lose. These are not lobbyists or idealists. They're doctors, nurses and specialists on the front line of British healthcare. They understand the hard economics of government budgets. But they also understand something the Treasury may be in danger of missing: global health isn't charity. It's a vital investment in our own safety, economy and NHS resilience. A smart move, not a soft one When the UK backs health partnerships abroad, it's not altruism. Helping others stay healthy is one of the smartest ways to protect ourselves. Programmes like the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardships funded by DHSC's Fleming fund, link NHS teams with hospitals in low-and middle-income countries to tackle antimicrobial resistance. So far, more than 65,000 health workers have been trained. Prescribing has improved. Infection controls are stronger. Meanwhile, UK staff return with invaluable experience that strengthens our NHS, from leadership under pressure to a deeper understanding of infectious diseases. It's the kind of low cost, high impact intervention any sensible government should double down on. The cuts are already hurting Before the 2021 cuts, a programme called the UK Partnerships for Health Systems was set to train 78,000 global healthcare workers and improve care for hundreds of thousands of patients. It was abruptly slashed by £48million. Programmes were halted. Partnerships paused. Opportunities for mutual learning lost. That was the last government. We did not expect to see the same thing happen under this government, with its distinguished track-record of supporting UK Aid over many decades. The letter from the Presidents of Diaspora Associations makes it clear what this means in real terms – not just for patients in low-income countries, but for UK health care workers whose knowledge and innovation stem from these international exchanges. The NHS is global – let's not forget it One in five NHS workers is a non-UK national. Their expertise connects the UK to over 200 health systems worldwide. They help make the NHS one of the most internationally engaged healthcare systems on the planet. Many trained in countries with fragile systems. Many are already playing leadership roles in linking British institutions with their counterparts overseas. In Tanzania, a partnership led by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust helped introduce laparoscopic surgery and set up a burns unit. In Ethiopia, Nottingham's NHS trust collaborated with Jimma University to improve trauma and diabetes care. The return on investment? More skilled, confident UK staff - and stronger UK healthcare at home. Soft power, hard results Health partnerships do far more than train workers. They help develop curricula, fortify health systems overseas and importantly, build Britain's global reputation at a time when influence is in short supply. The UK-Africa Health Summit earlier this year showed the power of collaboration, bringing together Ministers, health leaders and diaspora professionals to forge solutions on workforce mobility and pandemic preparedness. This diplomacy is with a scalpel, not a sword – and it works. We must protect what works The Chancellor faces tough choices. But cutting the global health budget and not mitigating the consequences, would be a false economy. It would weaken our defences against future pandemics, shrink the NHS's talent pipeline and damage our standing in the world. As the letter from diaspora leaders makes clear: this is not a plea for charity. It's a call for strategic investment. Let's not wait for the next global crisis to remind us that disease doesn't respect borders. Let's act now – to protect the NHS, promote economic stability and ensure Britain remains a trusted force for health and progress worldwide.
